The next day was bright and sunny. I managed to sleep in despite the multiple people moving about early in the morning. I always made it a habit to sleep late on weekends and get up extra early during the week.

I woke up around ten o clock in the morning on a Sunday; that wasn’t abnormal; my family was neither religious nor strict on waking up early (unless there was vengeance to be gained in waking someone early). I rose from my bed feeling refreshed and ready for the day; whoever was home was mine to begin my revenge upon. Despite the night before, I felt… obligated to return what I had obtained. I would make my family fear my wrath and enjoy my company all at the same time. With the power I had, it wouldn’t be difficult. I jumped out of my bed and walked out of my room in my night shorts and entered the empty bathroom on the third floor of the house, the floor I shared with my brother. After showering and brushing my teeth I made my way downstairs to breakfast. There was not a soul in the house. Considering it was Sunday that was somewhat surprising. Sunday was the only day of the week my family was expected to be doing nothing at all. I ate my breakfast and wandered through the house. The result was that I found no one at first. When I returned to the kitchen in dismay, ready to seek them out among the general populace of Hartford, I found Juliet. I felt a little deflated but at the same time I was happy. I was ready to begin and the only person I had declared off limits was the only one I could find.

Juliet had just entered the house and was removing her shoes by the front door. Her long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she was dressed in Nike shorts a small white muscle shirt. Underneath her athletic bra was clearly visible, a very teasing red and purple mixture. On her arm an iPod was strapped and the cord dangled from her ears and her arm. She was sweaty and smiling and out of breath and still stunning. When she pulled the ear buds from her head and stood up she stretched and addressed me.

“Sleep well?” I nodded and smiled at her. She walked past me into the kitchen and poured a glass of ice water from the fridge outlet. I walked in and sat on the couch to turn on the television. She followed soon, sitting on the carpet instead of on the couch seeing as she was quite sweaty. After ten minutes of mindless television, some random movie that she agreed was good that I can’t remember the name of, I asked her where everyone had gone.

“Well, the parents went out to do something, I think furniture shopping they said. Katy and Kathy and Claire went to walk around town, something about local shops, and Tommy went to a skate park or something of the like. I only heard their conversation through my iPod as I was walking out.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“You sound disappointed.” She looked at me curiously.

“I just… Not really. I wanted to see them. I wanted to know if they might act differently now that we’re someplace else.”

“You mean that you wanted to torture them with your new powers?” I was shell-shocked. I had been very careful about avoiding Juliet’s mind. I didn’t know how she knew or how she felt about them. I tensed up and stared at the back of her head as she continued watching the show that was on the television.

“Powers?”

“The powers you obtained from… that one. The golden-eyed Fiend, the Fallen, Lucifer, whatever you care to call him; the Gift, given as a piece of the Divine Justice to the young people in the world, three of which are here in the United States. Those powers.”

I stood up and walked around the coffee table, staring down at her. Her eyes never left the TV.

“You seem to know an awful lot about them. How? And… why?” Juliet sighed and rose, standing in front of me seeming much more intimidating now that she had begun to play her hand.

“I know because I am here to watch over you. I would not be much of a guardian if I didn’t know the terms. All of us know about the Gifted Ones. You are the first in centuries and some of the most able. Of course, after the disaster that occurred with Conner Evans, the first of the Gifted Ones, we must be careful that you do not become vengeful and lean toward the side of the one you call Satan.”

“US? Who the fuck is US?” I was a little bit cared now. I was ready to jump into her mind and take over, to force her to tell me everything. She knew too much and she was too freaky. Then She began to glow. A small circle of light appeared over her head and her eyes shone like green fire in their sockets. Her workout clothes became a chainmail skirt and golden pteruges, silver gauntlets, silver greaves, and a breastplate of gold and silver that covered only her breasts. Her stomach showed pale as moonlight between the pteruges. On her brow, a slim circlet of gold glowed as if giving me some idea of her rank. From her back, large white wings sprouted, furled against her shoulders. From the size of them, they would have destroyed the room if she had unfurled them for any reason whatsoever. Large white feathers floated down from the ceiling and disappeared as they landed on the floor. She seemed to have grown slightly though it might have been the way she held herself, chest out and head back with proud fire in her eyes. My breath left my lungs at her beauty. I suppose it was stupid; she had basically proclaimed herself my babysitter and essentially my enemy. But she was beyond beautiful. Id heaven was full of women like her I really wanted to go there, despite the equal number of men.

“Breathe, mortal.” When she spoke I fell to my knees and took a breath, realizing the effect she had held over me. After a moment of simply breathing and enjoying the echo of her incredible voice, I felt anger spur me to my feet.

“Don’t think that the fact that there’s an angel in the house will stop me. I plan to do what I will with my powers; you aren’t a part of that equation. I don’t care what you do, what you want, what you say, or anything about you. So fuck off.” She looked a little hurt at first. Then her eyes hardened and her pride kicked in.

“Be careful, Terrance Graves. You speak to Gabrielle Steelfeather, warrior priestess of the High House Steelfeather. I can kill you easily and painfully for your impudence.”

“Oh, you know that we can’t lay a finger on the little boy…” The sound of hissing from behind me caught me by surprise. Turning around I watched as my shadow peeled itself from the ground and stood up. When it reached its feet it changed, becoming a female shape. Then the inky black of my shadow melted into the ground, leaving a woman standing in the canter of my living room. Well, a female. I suppose it would be more appropriate to call her a demoness. She was shaped like a human, the same way Gabrielle was, but her skin was a shade of red that didn’t exist in the normal human spectrum (the same way orange, like the color of a tanning bed, shouldn’t) and small horns rose from her head. Other than that, she was a stunningly beautiful girl; she was basically a victoria’s secret model. I don’t know any other way to describe her body. Her eyes shone a bright orange, not the glowing gold that I’d expected after meeting Lucifer. Her hair was a fine blonde, not too dark and not bleach blonde either. She was dressed in a red t shirt that showed her shoulders and stomach very teasingly and a pair of cutoff jeans. Apparently she wore no bra under the shirt; I didn’t see any straps running over her shoulders. Her feet were bare. She inspired lust but the way she carried herself gained no respect from me. She held herself like a bitch who knew how to taunt others and get what she wanted. Just being around her, however, made me need her desperately. It was the same way I couldn’t breathe when Gabrielle had shown herself, only more carnal. I wanted to grab her and take her and force her to enjoy it. But I shook my head and took a breath and the feeling went away or at least subsided. The whole situation seemed a bit unreal.

“And you are?”

“Agatha, one of the thirteen female servants of Lucifer and the demoness of Lust, at your service, mortal.” She bowed and I caught sight of her breasts falling free in her shirt. She certainly was not wearing a bra. I also caught sight of a smile that was teasing and narcissistic. She was certainly what she said she was.

“And you are here to watch me as well?” She walked over to me and caressed my shoulder. No, she didn’t walk: she sauntered. It was the perfect sexy walk, swaying hips and graceful movements that made me want her more and more.

“Oh yes. And I’m having a lot of fun, by the way. You were very nice to that girl back home.” I thought of Hanna and paled.

“You didn’t make her…?”

“Maybe.” I nearly fainted. She laughed at me and pecked me on the cheek. “No, dear, I didn’t. No, your charisma and her real love for you did that. Of course I wanted to. I wanted to bring her sister in on the deal… but I am kept from interfering with the other mortals in your life. I am here only to watch and to make sure that miss prissy over there doesn’t make you into a saint or something like that.” The look she gave Gabrielle made me grin and Gabrielle glare at us. She stood arms crossed where she had been the entire time. I could tell that they were opposites, rivals, and enemies, on truce only because of me.

“So you two are here to ensure that I don’t sway to either side too much; or more than any regular person.” They both nodded. Agatha hung on my arm staring at Gabrielle, who glared back. Agatha wore a smile; Gabrielle didn’t. It made me chuckle. “Well here’s the deal you two. I am going to be the person I want to be. You can both to whatever the fuck you want as long as you keep out of my life. But Agatha, you can crawl around inside of ‘Juliet’s’ shadow, not mine. I don’t like you being there whenever I’m in the shower or something like that. Or do something else, I don’t care. But I don’t want either of you attached to me in any way.” Agatha looked disappointed but she stepped back anyway.

“Alright. But Terry, if you do something beyond the reality of mortals Gabrielle and I are authorized to kill you, or punish you by interfering. We can use our magic, our weapons, and our true forms… anything. And trust me…” Suddenly black feathered wings and a spade tipped tail sprouted from Agatha’s back. She smiled viciously and showed the fangs that filled her mouth. For a moment I felt like cowering and pissing myself. But that passed quickly. I knew what she was and I felt confident. I smiled at her.

“I don’t care what you are, who you are, or what you do; I’ve been through a figurative hell on earth. I plan on obtaining my revenge. And nothing either of you do can stop me. So fuck off, bitch.” She turned hot at that.

“Demons are capable of ruining everything for you bratty mortals. Look at what we do already! You stand no chance with me as your enemy.”

“I don’t want you as my enemy, Agatha. But I need to make myself clear. I wager that you don’t care what I do to my family; you’re a demon anyway, right? You enjoy pain and suffering.” She smiled, still cold.

“Actually, no. We may have that reputation, but we are simply angels that live beneath the earth, shunned from the light. We play with humans occasionally, even possess them sometimes; but humans were tempted by Lucifer as retribution against His actions, swatting my king from the heights of Heaven the way he did. Demons multiplied, but people are bad simply because they were once tempted out of purity. You are your own demons.” I looked at Gabrielle. She nodded, though she didn’t look happy about it. I might have considered it, but I’m not a pious guy. Despite having an angel and a demon in my living room, I cared nothing for the realms beyond Earth.

“But will you care?”

“No. I don’t care about what humans do. I enjoy lust and I play with you, but I do not spread suffering unless I am called to hurt an evil person.”

“Good. Gabrielle?” Gabrielle looked at me with hard eyes. I wasn’t sure what was in them, hate or indifference or love or pity.

“Of course I will try and stop you. If you become one like Conner Evans, then I must stop you and Agatha must help me. But if you do what you feel you must inside of human boundaries… I can’t stop you. I can only watch.” Something in her voice told me that Gabrielle really did care. Something told me that thinking of it made her sad. For a moment, my heart beat with a strange desire to change, to beg my family’s forgiveness. But I knew that that was the effect of an angel.

“You plan on sticking around as Juliet then?”

“Yes. I must.”

“Agatha, what will you do?” She sighed and her wings and tail disappeared.

“Well, now that I can’t hang out in your shadow, I’ll find something to do. Maybe I’ll just watch the happening from the other shadows; the ones not attached to people. I can’t interfere at all physically until you reach public areas. Then I can become anyone and do whatever I like with your family. With, not to them; I am still bound.” I was glad for that. A thought suddenly occurred to me.

“Can you help me?” She tilted her head to one side and a smile tugged at her lips.

“How?”

“Can you become a teenage boy?” She grinned at that.

“For which sister, and for what purpose?” Gabrielle cleared her throat in the background.

“Leave the angel out of this; she will enjoy the outcome anyway. I want you to court Kathy. I wont say anything else. I just want you to date her and make her feel special. I’ll break her myself.” Agatha looked at me and laughed.

“I can do something of the sort. But I won’t be the one to hurt her. Women are friendly to me and I am loving in return; they are my disciples as well as Gabrielle’s, equally ours.” With that she pecked me on the cheek again and melted into shadow.

“And stay out of my bedroom.” A whine came from the house, but I had a feeling she would comply. She had no reason not to. I turned to Gabrielle, who glared at me.

“Using Agatha to help you hurt people? That isn’t allowed.”

“Asking her to make my sister feel special is. And that is all Agatha has to do. So get off me.”

“I was never on you! Do not speak so crudely to a child of Light!” I grinned at her and pushed into her mind. It wasn’t the same as a human brain; hers was faster, stronger, perfect and yet one sided. She knew only chastity and obedience and truth. It seemed sad. Then I felt something, like a pulse. I forged deeper into her mind, ignoring her memories of marble palaces in pink and gold skies and forging down into the depths of her mind. I was delighted to find that she cared about me. Cared about me more than other mortals. Suddenly she gasped and I was shoved out of her mind. “And stay out of my head, mortal!”

I looked at Gabrielle and felt pity. She was capable of being far more than an angel, I hoped. But then I thought of scripture and I realized that things weren’t as one sided as I thought.

“Do angels ever do anything wrong? Or are you truly perfect beings? You must have temptations.” Gabrielle looked down at the floor, blushing. Then she shook her head and glared at me.

“You know nothing. We feel only the emotions of peace; love, happiness, content…”

“Yet you dislike me.” She fell silent at that. “Which means you’re lying; and that means that you feel temptations. You care about me, and I can only guess that you’re immune to my new charisma, but you feel lust don’t you?”

Gabrielle stayed quiet. I took the hint and walked away. When I reached the steps the room grew dim. I turned and found Juliet, the girl from France who was supposed to be staying with my family, standing where Gabrielle had stood in a workout uniform drenched in sweat.

“You know, I won’t tell anyone if you magically became clean and suddenly changed into something more comfortable. Our little secret when we’re alone… Juliet.” I walked up the stairs and threw myself on my bed. It had been an hour and a half of discovery and deceit and uncertainty. I decided not to let my sudden feeling of sadness force me into lethargy; I threw on a pair of swimming trunks and ran downstairs with a towel. Juliet sat on the floor, staring at an empty TV screen. I walked up behind her and looked at her, but she refused to acknowledge me.

“You know, if you’re going to be around all the time and we’re going to live in the same house, we are going to have to get along. Which means pretending to be friends or really being friends. Wanna go for a swim?” She remained unresponsive. “Hey, Agatha?”

The demoness appeared out of nowhere, dressed in absolutely nothing but a smile.

“I would love to. I’ll meet you two out there.” She walked out of the room and I knelt beside Gabrielle.

“What’s wrong? I told you we have to act like we’re friends even if you hate me.”

“I don’t…” Her voice was small and powerless. It made me feel like the worst person in the world to have made her into that.

“Then what’s wrong, Gabrielle?”

“I… In my home, no one wishes anything like revenge on anyone. We aren’t cruel or unkind or anything of the sort. I have seen bits and pieces of your life; they made me care for you more than I should. You suffer so much and yet you are a very kind human being… to any but your family. To them you have only hatred. Angels are a race much like humans… we are kinder but that is all. We feel, we want. Watching the ones who were to receive the Gift, I felt pity and love. But when I watched you, and discovered that you would be my charge, I watched you more carefully. I dare to say that I fell in love. But being here on Earth, I feel the things Humans feel. I feel disgust, I feel dislike, I feel pain and I feel jealousy and everything else. And I feel pity and hate toward you. But I still… I still love you.”

I didn’t know what to do, entirely. I sat next to her and put my arm around her. At first she stiffened; but after a moment she placed her head in the crook of my shoulder and cried.

“Gabrielle… I can’t be anything other than who I am. And I know that I care about you and Agatha. Whether you like that or not, I can’t help the effect she has on me. And we both know what that means, sooner or later. If you love me, then show it and understand me. I’m sorry you hate me for what I have to do. But let me say this: you’re on Earth. Here you can let your desires be real. You play a human girl, so why not show your true feelings and make human friends? I plan to live a long life; if you and Agatha are going to watch me for that entire time, then you need friends.”

“The life of a human is nothing to angels and demons.”

“Well then why not slow down and let this next century or so be one to enjoy as a human instead of an angel?”

“I am an angel.”

“But angels aren’t perfect; the fact that demons exist is proof of that. That means that you have things that humans will relate to you. You are really just a very very nice, winged human. Setting aside the badass armor and the halo, of course.” I could tell she was blushing as she turned away.

“I am not. I am better.”

“Well that doesn’t matter now. You’re here. You have an opportunity to enjoy yourself. Gabrielle, I care about you. That much is true. I may come to love you in time. Gabrielle, humans show their emotions and their affection. Maybe in time, you and I can be something more than just prisoner and warden. But we have to live in the same house for some time, and then you and I will be stuck together under some other pretense. So follow my example; have fun, be free.”

She nodded slowly and I stood up, stepping in front of her and offering her my hands. She stood up and still stared down at the floor. Grabbing her chin, I lifted her eyes to mine. In that moment, I saw her eyes as they should have been seen: full of love and happiness and tinged with sadness, making them glisten in the low light of the room. My heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t help myself; I leaned down and kissed her. For a moment she pulled back. Then she kissed me back tentatively. It was a soft kiss, my lips pushing against hers as she learned and tried to kiss me back. After a second I pulled back and looked at her. She smiled.

“I thought you didn’t love me?”

“I don’t know what it is… but you looked so beautiful and so sad that I wanted to cheer you up. I couldn’t help myself.” She looked at the floor and I lifted her head again. “Hey now don’t go and be sad anymore. I care for you, you’re beautiful, and you love me. Eventually I’ll know for certain. But first I need to know that you can show me that you love me too. Show me that, and I wont be able to help falling in love with you.” She nodded and smiled at me.

“Hey you two, I’m still waiting. I get the mushy stuff, really, but I’m not all that big on it so can we just move on?” Agatha stood in the doorway, watching them with a grin on her face. I glanced at Gabrielle and she smiled. Suddenly, after a warm glow and a blink on my part, she stood there in a white bikini.

“Shall we go?” I laughed and grabbed her hand, escorting her out the back door to the pool. Agatha jumped in and floated there, tempting my every will. But I knew that it would have to wait. Gabrielle slid into the water and I leapt in, splashing them both and making them squeal. Suddenly I thought of the fact that Agatha was naked and noticed the fence around the house was chain link.

“No one but you two can see me. There’s no need to worry, Terry.” Agatha just smiled at me and rose out of the water onto the side of the pool, dripping wet and glowing with what looked like a rainbow, to me at least. I smiled and said okay. Gabrielle didn’t say anything throughout the swim. After a half an hour my sisters came home and invited her to their room to see their haul. She smiled at me and said thanks for the swim; she was genuine enough that I was a little moved. The second they were gone Agatha swam over to me.

“Now that she’s gone, maybe we can have some fun, huh? I know that you can show a girl a good time, what with your Gifts and all.” I smiled and wrapped my arms around her waist. We were half standing half paddling in the semi deeper parts of the pool.

“What will they see?”

“They will see you swimming laps… while we’re out here at least. And no one will hear a thing. Not even that little angel of yours.” She grinned impishly and kissed me long and hard. I was instantly hard in my trunks and she knew it. Her hand slid inside my suit easily; her fingers found my shaft and pulled at it until it was facing upward. The head poked out of my trunks, which made me nervous that someone would find us. But I trusted Agatha’s magic. I pulled away from her lips and bit at her neck, slipping inside of her mind as I did it. Her body was alight with pleasure, like a low hum. She knew what to do to me to give me the most pleasure. Using her mind and her pleasure as a guide I teased her: biting here and there, kissing elsewhere, sucking at her breasts and stomach, anywhere I wanted. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Can you move us to my bedroom without going through the house?” She grinned and kissed me hard, pushing her tongue in my mouth and grabbing my dick hard. Then we were falling, landing on my bed. We were dry, though I could feel Agatha’s moist lips on my leg. Our lips were still locked together and our bodies were pressed together tightly. As soon as I got over the sudden change my hands began to slide down from her waist to her ass, squeezing her cheeks and sliding further down to the back of her thighs. Suddenly my trunks slid off of my hips without Agatha’s hands; Looking down I watched as they flew off and hit the wall at the foot of the bed. Agatha’s smile told me that she enjoyed my amazement; as incredible as it was, the feeling of her hand on my shaft was even more amazing. Her hand slid easily along my length and the friction was perfect. I felt like I was going to shoot any second under her expert hands, but her lips kept my mind off of my orgasm. Finally I managed to wiggle my left hand between her legs and slipped a finger inside of her pussy. Agatha growled the second she felt my fingers inside of her and my dick jumped in her hand. I grinned and pushed her off of me, making her squeal in disagreement until I climbed on top of her and kissed her again. The heat of her pussy was unlike anything I’d ever experienced: it was blistering hot and at the same time I knew that it wouldn’t burn my shaft; the heat made me desperate to push my cock inside of her so much more than I already did.

Instead, I kissed her and tugged at her hair as my fingers slid inside of her steaming sex, teasing her G-spot and bringing more growls and moans from the back of Agatha’s throat. I peeled myself away and bit her neck again, sliding down her shoulder with kisses until I found her nipple. She cried out as my teeth gently closed, rubbing the point between my teeth, and I pressed hard down on her spot. I felt her orgasm ripple through her mind and realized I had never left the edges of her thought. I grinned and released her nipple, repeating the procedure on the other one and bringing the same effect. Finally I pressed the head of my cock against her burning hot lips and groaned; she was as tight as any virgin in the world or tighter. I pressed harder, rubbing her clit with one hand as I watched, perched on my knees as I attempted desperately to enter her. Finally we groaned as the head of my cock slipped inside of her body. I felt the heat and the muscles of her body rippling around my shaft and lost it; I groaned and grabbed her face, kissing her as I pushed my shaft deeper inside of her while cumming. I didn’t cum hard the first time; by the time it was over the head of my dick was pressed against her cervix. When I felt the end of her tunnel I smiled at Agatha, gasping at the feeling of being inside of her. She groaned and tightened her thighs around my waist and arching her back. Her walls tightened and gripped at my cock, causing me to jerk forward. Agatha cried out when she felt the head of my dick shove into her cervix, but she shivered and pulled me deeper, not the other way around.

I pulled back against her legs and shoved back against the end of her sex, bringing the same excited cry. I pulled out all the way and pushed until I was pushing through her cervix. She screamed and came, writhing and grabbing at the bed sheets. I came with my dick pressed against her cervix and came for a long time; when I pulled out, none of my seed poured out onto the bed. Agatha’s belly was so swollen I didn’t ask what had happened. Agatha lay there for a few moments breathing heavily before she rose slowly and got up off of the bed.

“I thought you were essentially the demoness of sex?” She smiled at me with her evil grin as she rubbed at her sore pussy and breasts.

“Whatever you say, mortal bodies are quite fragile. They feel pain and emotion in ways that the bodies of demons and angels never would. I’ll be sore for a few days, even though my form heals much more quickly than normal mortal bodies. Gabrielle would be able to help me along with her magic, but I would rather not ask her to do that; angels have the habit of falling in love and staying that way. If she found out that we have been together, and she wants you, then it will ruin both of you. And as much as I dislike angels, Gabrielle is a female angel. She once saved my mortal life. So we get along for the most part, and we were the two chosen for babysitting.” As she spoke, Agatha walked around the room in a circle.

“I’m no child and I don’t need to be watched. I feel as though you greater power types need to come down and live like humans for a long while. Then you might have more sympathy.”

“You underestimate the Fallen and the Mighty. They… they created everything that you know today, for the most part. They have overseen it all. Lucifer has led some humans to greatness and helped the human race along in ways that the Mighty never could have. That is why demons have not been erased from all history and time. Both of them have been among humans; they have simply been in forms that humans should not recognize them in.” As she spoke, Agatha drew closer to me and stroked my now flaccid dick once before kissing me on the lips. When I opened my eyes she was gone.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully.

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